[AW] Battle of the Chateau

So Fleece is camped out in his bit of the mansion, and there's barricades in the fucking corridors, dividing up our territory. He's got snipers in his windows, so crossing the grounds is kinda dicey and I can't do much about it ... that's why we boarded up the fucking windows in the first place, so we wouldn't have to worry about snipers in the grounds in event of a siege.

So there hasn't been much blood, which I guess is good. I think Kirk and I would win this if it got down to brass tacks, but we'd probably cripple the Riders in the doing. There was some skirmishing in the first six or seven hours, as everyone got bunkered in, but now everyone knows everyone else's sight lines and we're pretty much staying low and trying to figure shit out.

I'm set up in the stables. It's a solid, stone building, and it's connected up to the undercroft, so I don't have to run through a sniper's field of fire to get up to the mansion.

Uncle, the battle, if you want to call it that, up until this point has been mostly random pot shots taken by either side. Clearly, no one has tried anything major. However, you get the sense that Fleece is getting claustrophobic in the east wing and pretty soon he's going to start fighting. The question is, who's going to make the first strike, which could turn the tide.

It's been nearly 36 hours, locked in this stalemate. After your meeting with Fleece several days ago, attempts at communication have been futile at best.

Something needs to be done.

Right now, you've set up a tactical operations center in the stables, which seems fairly safe for now. However, reports from the 'front line' indicate that there's been a few shots fired down in the undercroft and possible wounded. Things are heating up. And, Kirk tells you that one of them in the skirmish reports back seeing containers of what he thinks is gasoline being placed close to the entrance on their side. Are they going to try and blow the undercroft?

Kirk also tells you that a sniper reports that he's spotted Fleece, but didn't have a chance to take a shot. However, he's getting his men into formation.

Fleece's true position? He's in the main hall of the east wing, preparing for a full-on firefight.

And, that's about when Navarre arrives at the stables. He's decked out in his full battle rattle, armor and weapons. And, he looks like a million bucks compared to what he did a couple days ago after the hot air balloon shootout. Kirk's men allow him in and he's approaching you.

Comments

Before you could really get down to actually discussing anything, Gettys started running his mouth, shit got heated with Gettys drawing his weapon, you fired on Gettys and that about concluded the meeting as they ran away.

Pamming is sitting Indian-style with the book in her lap. She's thumbing through it, like she's trying to find 'her spot', but it's obviously she's not looking very hard. When you pull up the chair, she looks up at you. She brushes her hair back behind her ear with her right hand.

"I just want all this fighting to end. It's making my stomach hurt thinking about it."

She pauses, and then thinks on that statement noticeably for a moment.

"I saw Spector kill a young girl the other day. It was an accident. I know he was trying to do the right thing. But..."

You can see tears beginning to form in the crease between her eye the skin.

"She was just so young, yah know? Why should kids have to deal with this shit? They should have to worry about playing and learning. Not dying."

She takes in a deep breath. And, when she exhales, she nearly shouts but it's muffled somewhat by her cries.

You're eyeballing that book, thinking maybe if you could connect with her in that way, like talk about something beautiful, artistic and get her mind off of the dire situation at hand, that'd probably get her to see you in a different light than the Rough Rider she's heard rumors about and seen for herself.

That might help her calm down, and maybe see where you're coming from. Of course, she's still going to want you to opt for a peaceful resolution to all this if she can.

Pamming seems to brighten at the story. She seems genuinely fucking interested. It's like she's one of your kids, when they were little yah know? And, you'd tell them stories or whatever. They'd be looking up at you, all bright-eyed and shit. That's her. Right now. It's enough to make your heart sink when you realize you've missed out on pretty much this whole girl's life.

"I think you should tell Fleece what you just told me."

And, then, Pamming breaks eye contact with you. She looks up and past you! Her eyes go wide in horror!

"Look out!"

You spin around and Gritch is there. Where'd he come from?! Like a ghost, he's just there. Everyone is shocked.

And, he's got his antique pistol pointed right at your head, Uncle.

...

Wait. What?

Let's backtrack.

Gritch, you're there. Yeah. You can see through your eyes. You can feel your heartbeat. You can feel your lungs urging your brain for a smoke. But, you can't do anything. And, you're heading back into the Chateau. No. Stop! You can't. Dog Head. You opened your brain, and it must've let Dog Head take over. You sense him in your brain, urging your body forward. You feel the cold steel of the antique pistol in his grip, no your grip. No, his.

It's a clusterfuck in the Chateau. Everyone is charged and primed for a firefight. But, Dog Head, no you, you're just walking through.

You approach one of the Rough Riders.

"Hey, I need to talk to Lars."

They look at you suspiciously, but allow you to pass. Toward the machine shop.

When you get there, everyone is busy. No one even notices you come in through the side door.

Lars is there. He's got his back to you. He's pulled up a chair and he's talking to Pamming.

You do it. Both you and Gritch go tumbling to the ground and the pistol, Gritch releases it from his grasp and it spins off under the truck that Wisher was working on earlier. You don't necessarily have him pinned, but you're both sort of tangled with each other. The Rough Riders in the immediate area come running over to help you.

Then, you hear the crackle of the radio. It's Fleece.

"Lemme talk to Uncle."

Gritch, you feel Dog Head's tidal wave of emotion as he's once again engaged with his enemy. This might be a good time to take back control of your body. What do you want to do?

Can I read the sitch, figure out what my best course of action is? I'm kinda wondering (a) if I can threaten him with my psychic moves and do harm to him directly, or (b) if I can threaten myself (my body) with my psychic moves, saying "LET GO OF THE WHEEL OR WE BOTH CRASH" kind of thing. If I can read the sitch, then...

Let's see what Gritch does and then we'll determine what you need to do to pin him. If Gritch is fighting for control of his body, Dog Head is going to be distracted and you won't even need to roll to pin him.

Gritch, you regain control of your body, and it ain't fun. Uncle has his elbow in your throat, pinning you down to the ground and Wisher has a shotgun barrel pressed to your temple. She'd have already blown your brains out if Uncle hadn't subdued you.